Gabe nodded. ‘OK.’ Clearly, he didn’t believe a word but, thankfully, we were now very close to the house so he didn’t have time to pursue it, even if he’d wanted to.
‘Well, night then. I hope Bryan is feeling a bit more perky tomorrow.’
‘Thanks. I’m sure he will be.’
The little dog was now sleepily peering out of the front of Gabe’s jacket, having woken when his master had stopped walking, the cease of the gentle rocking movement stirring him from slumber.
‘Night, night, Bryan,’ I said, giving him a gentle stroke on the top of his silky head. He moved a little, his eyes closing as I did it.
‘You might be here all night now.’ Gabe laughed.
I smiled back, thinking that there were far worse places to be, and not only because of one of the cutest dogs I’d ever met. Quickly, I shoved the additional reasons from my mind and held up Petey the Prawn.
‘Someone will be wanting this for bedtime, I’m guessing.’
‘You’re right. Thanks,’ Gabe said, taking it from me.
‘Right. Well, goodnight then.’
‘Night, Holly. Thanks for the walk back.’
I shrugged. ‘Wouldn’t want you being mugged by a rampant starfish.’
He laughed, the sound clear and deep in the still of the night, sending tingles where there definitely shouldn’t be any right now. ‘Yeah, I’ve heard about those. Thank goodness I don’t have to worry about them anymore now you’re here.’
‘Only for the summer, remember. Then you’re on your own again.’
He nodded, but his head was tipped down towards his dog, so I couldn’t see his expression.
‘Yep. Of course. Goodnight, Holly.’
‘Night, Gabe.’
I climbed the steps up from the beach to my side of the deck, the sound of the waves at my back already soothing me towards sleep. As I got to the top, I turned towards where my neighbour was just disappearing around the side of the house.
‘Gabe?’
He poked his head back around. ‘You all right?’
‘Yes. I was just going to say if you ever need me to watch Bryan when you’re working … or you know, anything, I’d be happy to.’
I could see the smile in the moonlight, but little else of his expression. ‘Thanks, Holly. That’s really kind of you. I do feel kind of bad sometimes asking Carrie and Ned, even though I know Bryan’s a good little mate and no trouble. They have quite a lot going on already.’
‘They clearly love having him, so I don’t think you need to feel bad about it, but I just thought I’d ask. I’m hoping to do a bit more walking while I’m down here and other than that I’ll only be sorting out the house, and I’d be glad of the company.’
I shifted my weight, suddenly feeling awkward.
Gabe took a few steps back towards me. ‘What is it?’
‘Nothing. It’s … silly.’
‘Why don’t I be the judge of that?’ His voice was soft and calming and once again my thoughts drifted back to how comforting that sound could, and likely had been, for many patients in the past.
‘It’s just that … I kind of always wanted a dog. As a child, I mean. But we were never allowed one. My dad just told us it was something else we’d get attached to and then lose in time and that we were just setting ourselves up for heartbreak.’
Less shadowed now, I could see the frown on Gabe’s face. ‘I suppose that is true in a way but if you operated like that all the time, you’d never open yourself to anything or anyone.’
‘I think that was the point.’ Feeling an odd jab of loyalty, I gave a shrug. ‘He had his reasons.’
Gabe didn’t answer.
‘Anyway, I just wanted to say that dog-sitting would be a pleasure. Obviously. I can’t have a dog with the way my life is now either. I mean back in London. So you’d be doing me the favour really.’
‘I think that’s probably pushing it a little bit but it’s a really kind offer, Holly. Thank you. And I may well take you up on it if you’re sure you don’t mind. It’d be nice for Bry to have someone around all the time like that.’
‘Great. OK, then. Night.’
‘Sleep well.’ And with that he was gone.
Waking up at 5 a.m. was proving to be a hard habit to break, even though I had no Tube to catch or specific place to be. That didn’t mean I didn’t have things to do though so, as inviting as this bed was, its downy softness cradling me in comfort, I forced myself not to linger. Kicking back the covers, I pushed myself up, slipped my feet into some hotel slippers I’d snaffled out from a five-star place in Hong Kong in a moment of reckless abandon and headed to the shower.
I’d been here nearly a week now and had already had two lectures from my brother and Carrie about how important breakfast was. Pointing out that I knew this thanks to half of my meetings taking place over breakfast due to differing time zones got me nothing but two exasperated looks and an explanation more suited to a 5-year-old that they were referring to the actual meal. I’d tried to laugh it off but I couldn’t shake the niggle that my automatic reaction when someone mentioned breakfast was to equate it with work and meetings rather than actual food, and that perhaps that wasn’t such a good thing.
However, I was making an effort, even if I knew it was unlikely I’d be able to keep it up once I went home. Two eggs were now floating leisurely in their silicone pods in a pan of water, slowly poaching as I prepared the toast and pulled the tub of guacamole I’d made the night before from the fridge. As the eggs began to look ready, I grabbed the toast from the toaster, spread both pieces with some of the guacamole and then plopped one perfectly poached egg on each slice.
For once I didn’t look at my phone whilst I ate – something else I’d got a telling-off from my big brother for a couple of days back when I’d dropped into the restaurant for lunch. After a few delicious mouthfuls, he’d appeared at the table and whisked my plate away!
‘What the …?’
‘That wasn’t carefully and lovingly cooked so that you could then barely taste it because you’re too busy looking at your phone, checking on work that you’re supposed to have left behind!’
‘I have left it behind!’ I said, making a swipe for my plate as Carrie approached the table, taking my plate from Ned and placing it back in front of me.
‘Thank you!’ I said.
‘Don’t look too smug,’ Carrie warned, pulling out a chair and lowering herself onto it. ‘I happen to agree with him. I just don’t like seeing good food go to waste. And you need to eat.’
I rolled my eyes as I took another mouthful. ‘Traitor.’
‘Not at all,’ she said. ‘Ned’s right. You’re supposed to have left all this behind. That was the whole point of you coming down here. To take a break. Reading about the markets, and checking emails, statistics and God knows whatever else it is that you do isn’t taking a break.’
‘Of course it is! I’m not in the office. I’m not answering emails.’
‘But you’re constantly logging in to see if there are any there to answer.’
I